Corruption
by giantshroomhead0
Summary: I'm reviving this for practice writing purposes. Jak loses control of his Dark Eco powers and completely breaks down; how will this affect his friends and other characters that we know so well? WARNING: MAY CONTAIN GRAPHIC VIOLENCE
1. Power Surge

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing! Nothing, you hear me?

Chapter Theme/Jak's Theme: New Born-Muse

_The love for what you hide_

_The bitterness inside_

_Is growing like the new born…_

PART 1: Power Surge

Jak felt it again, the blinding pain, the dark energy ripping through his body. Looking around, he saw claws thrusting themselves out of his fingers, his skin turning a deathly, pale gray. The Dark Eco infusion didn't hurt so damn much anymore. Drinking in the dark energy heightened his senses, strength, and speed. He felt the pain ebb, the Eco stop arcing from the needles to his body. Jak saw the spare Gun Course targets leaning against the wall of the cube, painted like Metal Heads.

Using his enhanced strength, Jak ripped the metal cuffs that held him down off of the infusion chair. His swift, silent run was that of a hunter. The vision of Dark Jak painted targets on Metal Heads and other enemies, the bull's eyes on their weak armor and vulnerable areas. Jak grabbed the cutout by its arms, the claws ripping right through it. He sank his Dark-granted fangs into its neck, snapping the head right off the target.

Dark was testing the potency of his powers; he had been taking infusions since the Death Bots and Metal Heads inside the city were getting wiser to Jak's gadgets and guns. Since then, he had improved in all categories-except anger management, and Light powers. They had begun to recede from disuse.

Jak's long ears, enhanced by the Dark Eco, heard footsteps coming down the hall, about fifteen feet from his steel cube of an infusion room. He snapped back to reality and began to force the dark powers back down, to become himself again.

It was harder than it had ever been before. Jak found the small rationally-thinking part of his mind and forced the dark powers inside that part, while bringing out his balanced self again. After a struggle, Jak finally felt the Dark Eco retreat into the corners of his mind. Yanking out his Blaster, he stood against one wall and fired at the targets on the other, trying to make him look like he had been going for target practice the whole time.

Thirty seconds later, Keira opened the thick door and came inside. "You look tired," she noted right away. "You should get some sleep. You've been up longer than anyone else."

"I will, Keira," promised Jak, putting away his gun and kissing her. Then, he walked away.

For a second, Jak heard a hissing voice from inside his mind. **Come back to me…** it whispered. It was so quiet, Jak didn't even know if he had really heard it. "Just imagining things," he convinced himself. "I really should get some rest."


	2. Superhuman

Sorry about the embarassing typos, I'm trying to remove them. It's not easy!

I can't post for some time, my house is getting painted. Just so you know.

Chapter Theme: Aerodynamic-Daft Punk

_(Awesome guitar solo)_

Part 2: Superhuman

Jak awoke from his deep slumber to the sound of sirens. Leaping out of bed, he put on his Precursor armor and strapped his JET-board to his back. However, his gun mods were missing!

"Jak! Where are you when we need you?" several voices called over the speaker. Leaving his guns for later, Jak rushed down to the rest in the Naughty Ottsel. Daxter, Ashelin, and Torn were looking grimly at the scope. "What's going on?" asked Jak.

"We got some Wasteland Metal Heads," said Torn. It was enough to silence Jak. In a second, he made his decision. "Dax, come with me. You up for a little action?"

Ten minutes later, Jak was sitting in the turret of Ashelin's Hellcat cruiser, Daxter on his shoulder, Torn in the pilot's seat and Ashelin in the side. It was one of their only defenses against the huge, destructive monsters. Firing their weapons desperately, nothing seemed to make any impact on the giant creatures as they crashed heedlessly through the Port, charging through buildings and running across the water. Only after an hour of intense, concentrated fire, one of the eight Metal Heads was down. Jak was tired, sweaty, and frustrated. "Bring the Hellcat down," he shouted to Torn. "I'm out!"

"Jak, no! We'll never survive!" protested Torn.

"Just leave it to me," said Jak.

Jak leaped out of the turret, and then set Daxter on the side seat with Ashelin. "I can't take you in this time. I…I don't know what I'd do if I lost control," he said.

**(Author's Note: The bold text means that there in a voice in Jak's head. It was less confusing in a Word document, but the symbols I used there aren't showing up here.)**

**It is time.** "What? Who are you?" asked Jak.

**I am part of you…Let me out, like you intended to…I need air…space…blood…**

Jak sensed the Dark Eco rise in him again, pushing against his body, wanting to be let out. "Fine," he muttered, ceasing to resist.

Jak felt the dark energy explode from his chest, covering his body quickly. The rush of concentrated power was amazing. Once again, he felt the intense rage of Dark Jak.

**Ahh…That is much better, **said the dark conscience.** :Give me a Metal Head…I thirst for blood…** Dark Jak turned his eyes to a Metal Head deeply gouging at the outer wall of the city, across the Port. :That will do fine: it said. He took off running toward the target, forgetting all else.

It looked like Jak's last crusade against evil. His last resort of power, against eight monster Metal Heads. Leaping the second before the Metal Head ran over him, Dark Jak dug his claws into the Metal Head's fleshy leg. He heard the Metal Head roar in pain, felt it increase its pace and try to shake him off. Hauling himself up hand over hand, Jak was eventually sitting on the Metal Head's neck.

**The killing strike,** said Dark. **My favorite part.** Jak stabbed his claws into the side of the Metal Head's neck and jumped off, so he was hanging under its throat. Pulling himself up, Jak bit its neck, his fangs injecting Dark Eco. The taste of the Metal Head's blood was like a tonic, refreshing him and increasing his rage.

**Give in,** ordered Dark. _What…do you mean? _ Thought Jak. **You are controlling yourself, **explained the dark conscience.** Let go…You still maintain control of yourself, even though you do not feel it…Completely give yourself over to me; take a rest…**

_If I kill Keira, I'll kill you,_ thought Jak, then let go. For the next fifteen minutes, Jak felt nothing but the euphoria given by the dark powers and the intense, uncontrollable anger.

On the fifth Metal Head, Jak decided to scale the tail instead of the leg. When he latched on to a plate, the tail began lashing from side to side, trying to sweep him off. Still he clung on, climbing inch by painstaking inch.

The Metal Head ran through an alley, still sweeping its tail across the ground. Slipping on to the side, Jak could barely hold on. On the next sweep, Jak was crushed against the wall of a building. He felt the bricks give way behind him, and ffor the first time, blinding pain. _Bang!_ He was smashed against the building again. The third time, Jak could not hold on any longer. He let go of himself once more, then blacked out. Oddly, the Dark Eco did not recede, a possible side effect of the increased infusions.

Dark's claws were still embedded deep in the Metal Head's tail!

(End part 2)

Please tell me if the little symbol thingies for when Dark is speaking don't appear. It makes it ten times more confusing. Leave it in a REVIEW!!


	3. Pain

The whole "theme song" thing kinda isn't working out the way I planned…

If you have an idea for a theme song, put it in a cough REVIEW!

Also, thanks to CyndrDragon and Random Hyper Person for being my first REVIEWERS!!

Part 3: Pain

The Wasteland Metal Head did not stop running until it reached its secret Nest. It howled in pain, for Dark's claws injected more Dark Eco by the second. A team of Metal Heads, more suited for healing than combat, pulled Dark Jak off of the Wastelander and did their best to heal its wounds.

Jak was dizzy and weak after being dragged across miles of desert. He let the Metal Heads pick him up and carry him into a chamber full of prisoners, like him. They threw him in, and left him for a time.

_Metal Head POV_

The life of a Metal Head was not easy, especially for one such as this. He had been created by crossbreeding Wasteland Metal Heads, Havenians, and normal Metal Heads. He was smarter than most and stood upright, unlike many Metal Heads. He had the strength and speed of a Wastelander, and the dexterity of a Havenian.

His name was Payne, and he was the new leader of the Metal Heads.

_Jak POV_

The Metal Head jailors had kept away from his dark cell. Because of the deprivation of Eco, Dark had lost some of his enhanced powers, such as the ability to see in total darkness. When the Metal Heads set a tray down in front of him with Dark Eco infusions and food, he gobbled up all the food, and then felt a little stronger. Looking at the infusions, Dark noticed they were made to be injected with an included syringe, so no infusion chair was required. He picked up a needle filled with the gently swirling purple stuff. Injecting it into his arm, Dark let out a little sigh as the rush of Dark Eco replaced more of his power, and he hungered for more. Another needle would be quite satisfactory…

And a pair of glowing night eyes stopped him cold.

"You surely did not think you were the only one?" whispered a rasping voice. A hand grabbed his throat, lifted him like a feather, and slammed him against a wall.

"You're not alone." And thirteen more pairs of glowing eyes opened. The creatures closed in on him.

_Payne POV_

"Sire, we have captured the one you wanted," said a servant tentatively.

Payne turned around, revealing his muscular, permanently gray, armored body. "Good," he said. "Bring him to me when the other Dark Ones have finished tenderizing him, and let's see what we can do for him…"

_Jak POV_

For the first time in his life, Dark Jak felt blind fear.

These creatures were not puny Metal Heads; they were carbon copies of him, built to kill. When they came even closer, Dark pulled his claws up to the hand gripping his throat, only to have his hands easily wrenched away.

"We have not tasted blood in months…" whispered one of the Dark Ones to their leader.

Giving a nod, the leader turned his eyes back up to Dark Jak. He let go of Jak's wrists, but no amount of clawing at his other scarred hand would earn him any leeway for escaping. He gouged and scraped at the hand and wrist, scoring deep cuts into his flesh. The angry capturer was made even angrier by the blood congealing on his hand and dropping to the floor. He pulled back his fist to strike-and stopped at the last moment.

"For those cuts, you can have it done without pain relievers," growled the big one. In a single movement, he threw Dark Jak facedown on the floor. When he tried to haul himself upright, he stamped hard on the back of Dark's head.

"I'm gonna have fun with this one," he murmured as Dark Jak struggled. With one slash of his talons, he ripped apart the armor and laid his back open to the bone, watching the dense muscle quiver.

"Blood," whispered the fourteen hungry Dark Ones, converging on him.


	4. Let the Games Begin

I think I'm about to lose my mind. Please read and review to stop me from losing my sanity.

Part 4: Let the Games Begin

"No…no more…AHHHHHH...not again, please not again…"

Dark's pleas were unheeded by the Dark Ones, who were taking turns biting deep into his body to obtain blood. They were like vampires, but the blood to them was simply a strength potion, not a necessity for existence. After the feeding was finished, Jak had mercifully fallen unconscious from blood loss and pain. He woke soon after, to find himself being dragged backwards by two Metal Heads, servants of some sort. Jak found himself unable to open his eyes from weakness, but to his surprise, felt the claws retract and the raging anger dissipate.

His Dark Eco supply had run out. And apparently, so had the dark conscience. Jak no longer heard the incessant whispers to let out his anger. Instead, he felt blind fear at what the Metal Heads would do to him.

"Put him on the table," commanded a voice. Jak was confused, because Metal Heads spoke in their own language, punctuated by growls and gestures. This voice had a clipped way of talking, with a bit of a feral growl in it. His wrists, ankles, and chest were secured by thick metal cuffs.

"I will start the operation. Guards, leave us," he commanded.

The heavy doors swung shut, and Jak was once more shut into a room of fear and pain.

"I've been waiting for you, Jak," he said. The table tilted forward so Jak could see the Metal Head. He stood upright, at least six feet tall. His eyes were yellow, as if possessed. Metal Head armor seemed to be part of his dark gray flesh.

"My name is Payne. Funny, no?" Jak was too weak to answer.

"Ah, well. I'm afraid you're going to hate me for what I'm about to do to you," said Payne silkily, increasing Jak's sense of foreboding. "First things first, I have to arouse your senses," _Is he talking about what I think he's talking about?_ "No, I'm not gay," said Payne, completing Jak's thought. "It's Dark. I know about you. I know that you are the most advertised Dark One, and yet, your hardwired power runs through your body like electricity through cables.

"And that is your failing." Payne pulled infusion needles from the ceiling, positioning them in places Jak had never seen infusion needles before. His chest, neck, wrists, and legs were the main targets for the Eco. "Target the bloodstream, Jak. That is the key. This infusion will hurt. Oh, it will hurt. I know you know that.

"But I'll be injecting a special formula to bring out your dark side, so the most concentrated needle, leading to the heart, won't kill you. It'll almost overload every single blood vessel in your body; it will hurt more than any infusion, or anything for that matter, you've ever taken, and for more than one reason."

Payne had been priming the needles as he talked, and now stopped and raised a small square box to his mouth. "Spyke, launch the second wave of the attack," he said loudly and clearly. A giant transparent image of the leader of the Dark Ones' face appeared.

"Right away, my lord. Is my patrol to be involved?"

"No, Spyke. I'm saving you for the final assault. Organize the foot soldiers, and then send a special detachment to Spargus to distract those cursed Wastelanders!"

"It shall be done." The image fizzled out.

"Now to the task at hand," said Payne. He held in his hand a syringe filled with a black substance. "In this solution is the essence of my being and slightly diluted Dark Eco. Don't ask. My essence will place a part of me in your mind for a time. This is necessary for you to accept the infusion, so bear with me and follow my instructions. The Dark Eco will make the infusion less drastic," he said to the weak hero.

"Let the games begin," whispered the Metal Head-human hybrid, pushing the needle into Jak's muscular arm.

As soon as the syringe emptied its cargo, Jak felt another foreign being enter him, as well as returning strength.

It was like the dark conscience, except more potent. He could feel wherever it went, finally settling itself in his head, wrapped around his brain.

Payne settled himself on a shelf, and then pressed the button.

The agony hit him like a train from Haven's underground transit system. Like Payne had said, the Dark Eco beforehand had made the initial pain less. He could already feel the Eco stretching his arteries to the breaking point and the claws sliding out of his fingers.

**Jak, **said Payne's voice in his head. **I know you feel the pain. In some time, it will lessen. For now, seek out a single thought and cling to it.**

Jak had nothing better to do, so he conjured an image of Keira to his mind. He remembered the first kiss-and everything after that. Jak heard himself screaming, but paid it no mind.

**Ah,** said Payne. **You have…**

_It's none of your business,_ thought Jak.

**Your dark self is emerging…Now you can find the pleasure amid the pain…** Jak was totally swamped by the pain, but he was able to find bits of enjoyment here and there. It wasn't long before the infusion felt like a feather tickling his body…or something more drastic. (Nudge nudge wink wink)

**Good job,** said Payne. **I can feel my presence here lessening already. You're about to pass out. Don't worry. You did a good job of not blacking during the infusion itself. Tomorrow you can see the survivors from the Haven attack.**

This thought threw Jak into genuine panic as the needles stopped spitting Dark Eco. As soon as it stopped flowing into his body, Jak was exhausted. The dark side retreated, and the last thing he remembered was Payne looming over him, scalpel in hand.


	5. Transformation

I'm off to camp for a week! No updates for some time.

Part 5: Transformation

It was unusual for Payne himself to perform the grafting procedure on a new Dark One. It wasn't because Payne was bad at it; it was that he was always commanding some area or another of the army; the life of a Metal Head leader was quite busy.

Payne deftly drew the scalpel across Jak's bare chest, a line of red blood appearing in the cut. In less than a minute, he was drawing pieces of tough Metal Head muscle from a cooler next to him and attaching them to Jak's muscle in different places along his body. Now for the tricky part.

The Metal Head leader carefully injected a measured amount of Dark Eco into Jak's new muscle, just enough to bring out Dark Jak, but not enough to rouse him from his slumber. With that done, Payne began carefully grafting genuine Metal Head plates on to Dark Jak's body. They were not too oblong, so when Dark Jak retreated inside his host, the plates would be hidden as well.

In many hours, the procedure was complete, but Dark Jak needed to be kept out for weeks for the plates to grow into his flesh correctly. Payne put him on a Dark Eco intravenous drip and set off to give the Freedom League leaders a little nasty surprise.

_Haven City_

"Ashelin? This is Torn," said the worried leader into his communicator. "My men can't keep this up much longer," he reported.

Torn was leading a massive suicide attack into the old Stadium section. He was rapidly losing men to the massed, powerful attacks of the Metal Heads. "The Metal Heads have a new leader. He's obviously not a stupid one," observed Torn.

Suddenly, Ashelin's voice crackled over the speaker. "Torn, pull them out!" she said anxiously. "We've received a package. It's urgent!"

Without a second thought, Torn disengaged himself and the soldiers, making his way back to Freedom HQ as quickly as possible.

_Freedom HQ, New Haven_

It was an unobtrusive enough package, flat and wrapped with brown paper. Ashelin was inspecting it for wires or alarms that would trigger when they opened it. "What's the deal?" asked Torn.

"It's from the new leader," said Ashelin somberly. "It's clean. Just some kind of communicator. Torn, can I talk to you alone?"

Torn and Ashelin walked into their small bedroom, closing the door and blinds. As soon as they were alone together, Ashelin flung her arms around Torn's neck and kissed him. Torn felt his immediate troubles instantly slip away. They could wait for another time, while…

Ashelin pulled back, her lips breaking away from his. "I'm so happy you're okay…" she whispered. "Those Metal Heads have been especially savage since Jak's disappearance…"

Torn cast his eyes to the floor. "I want to go search for Jak. We've sent out search parties. They've turned up nothing for three days. It's unusual for him to be gone this long without any contact with us," he said.

Ashelin strongly disagreed. "If you go out looking in the Wasteland, all you'll find is trouble. Anyway, we've already informed Sig, and he's looking on Spargus' scopes," said Ashelin.

"Ash, we're fighting a losing battle without him," argued Torn. "I can't get my inside missions done because I don't want to put somebody else's life on the line, because I know they don't have the same credentials! They'll get killed!"

Ashelin broke away from him. "We can discuss this later. At the moment, we have a hot package," she said firmly. A _hot package_ was the KG term for a bomb or something else dangerous and delivered by mail. (FYI everyone I totally made that up)

Just as Torn and Ashelin reentered the room, the Freedom Guard (is that what those blue KG people are called?) that was from the Bomb Squad was carefully opening the package. Torn saw a small gleam of light reflected off a wire that they had missed…

Thankfully for him, years of experience had honed his reflexes. "NO!" he screamed, while throwing his body over Ashelin's.

Then there was the flash and the noise. It was inevitable, and Torn had braced himself. Still, the shock of a bomb exploding near him was something he could never get used to. Flinging an arm over his eyes just in time, there was a white flash from the area that enveloped the poor Freedom Guard a nanosecond before the tremendous KABOOM!

A second later, Torn felt an immediate and strong desire to make out with Ashelin, not caring who was watching.

Uncovering his eyes to no destruction, he turned to face her, and saw that same feeling reflected in her eyes. They immediately started kissing, without taking the time to observe the other occupants of the room, whose behaviors were…abnormal, to say the least.

Samos had apparently pulled Onin up from her mat, and the two were fiercely kissing. Oddly enough, so were Daxter and Pecker. The Freedom Guard, who had no partner, had torn off various pieces of his armor, and was lying, spread-eagled on the floor, singing loudly:

_I feel pretty_

_Oh so pretty_

_I feel pretty and witty and GAY!!_

There was a tiny _click _from the general area of the package, which did absolutely nothing to drown out the horribly off-key singing of the Freedom Guard and generally went unnoticed, until the communicator flickered to life.

"I don't think you were expecting that, were you?" All the occupants in the room looked up from their partners (or in the Freedom Guard's case, angled his head upwards) and stared at the communicator, which seemed to be a projector wrapped up in its screen. It was eventually Samos who broke the silence. "Could you excuse us for one moment? We need to…finish something…"

The voice answered, cool and yet somehow ruthless. "Of course. I have all the time in the world. Anyway, the gay bomb's effects only last for…oh, ten seconds more," No one was listening to the voice.

When he had first approved it, all the leaders in the room had started kissing (the Freedom Guard started singing Touch My Body instead) again-at least until the gay bomb's effects wore off. Soon, Ashelin and Torn broke apart, simply feeling embarrassed. The Freedom Guard's voice scaled down then faded away. They had it off easy.

When Samos realized what he was doing, he pulled completely away from Onin, whose legs were too weak to support her and promptly crashed to the ground. Even worse were Daxter and Pecker, who immediately made a pact with everyone else in the room to forget that ever happened, and washed their mouths out with soap.

"I always like to see my enemies humiliated, even before I beat them," the voice said again. "Hold up," called Torn. "We need to set up your screen," With some help from the Freedom Guard, the screen was soon up and the projector aimed at it.

"Hello, my friends…or should I say, _enemies,_" said Payne, for it was he. An image of his Wasteland Metal Head form appeared.

"It is so satisfying to see you all humiliated," he said. His picture disappeared, and an image of the leaders under the influence of the gay bomb emerged. They all looked ridiculous (except for Ashelin and Torn), especially the tough-looking, tattooed Freedom Guard lying on the floor with a dreamy smile on his face.

Payne's image came back to the screen. "You look so ridiculous, but I'm pleased to finally see all of you at last. It is best to fight an enemy you know, for the predictability is a major factor in my eventual victory over your forces."

Ashelin had known him for ten seconds, and she already didn't like the Metal Head. "What have you done with Jak?"

He answered quickly, a mocking tone in his voice. "Oh, is that the name of your pathetic little hero who tried taking down eight of my finest warriors at once? Look at him now. He is completely at my mercy," The image of Payne disappeared, replaced with an image of the unconscious Jak right after his infusion.

It was vital that the presence of the Dark Ones be kept a closely guarded secret. Payne was planning to bring them out for the final attack.

Daxter leapt on to the table. "Now listen up, stone head. Don't you people _ever_ learn? There was Gol and Maia back in the old days, then Baron Praxis and Kor a year ago, then Cyber Errol in September, and you still don't get it?! Ya mess with Jak, ya get trouble. Ya dig?"

The answer to this was a chuckle that made Daxter's fur stand on end. "I won't give him up, if that's what you want. I'm keeping him. Oh, I am keeping him until someone comes to steal him away. I promise you that."

Torn's heart skipped a beat when he heard Payne's words. It was exactly the invitation he had been looking for. "For now, what I want is a conference. In a neutral place. Say…the Precursor Monk Temple, a week from now. At this exact time. Send one representative and no more. If there is more than one person, or if anything goes wrong on your part, I can _accidentally_ put a little something extra into your friend's IV drip… I give you my word that there will be no hidden traps, no ambushes. I will be there, alone, at that time. Until we meet again, my friends. Just so you know, this really is a bomb,"

Payne's face disappeared and was replaced by a countdown. "Everybody out!" shouted Torn. He dove into a bomb shelter that had been created for this specific purpose.

_14. 13. 12. _

The Freedom Guard and Ashelin dove into the shelter.

_11. 10. _

Daxter plowed through the open doors.

_9. 8. _

Samos and Pecker were struggling to carry old Onin to the bunker. Torn raced out to help them.

_7. 6. _

Samos and Pecker were safely in.

_5. 4. _

Almost there…

_3. 2. _

Onin was in.

_1. _

Torn pounded his fist down on a button just in time, sealing the blast doors.

The sound of the bomb was muffled by the thick doors, but there was still a solid _whunk_ and then the shriek of rending metal. The blast doors slid open to reveal the devastation.

The roof was completely torn off by the blast, and there was a cooling hole in the floor. The air smelled of burning metal. Pieces of the roof were strewn in the streets. Slag pooled everywhere. All of the Freedom League leaders thanked their lucky stars that they had thought of a situation like this before building the new HQ.

"This is not good," said Torn dismally.

"No, it's definitely not," Ashelin agreed.

(line)

OK, I was really hyper when writing this chapter, so I just HAD to include the gay bomb. Link for info here. It's item 7 in the photo gallery.

/military-aviation-space/gallery/2008-05/worlds-spookiest-weapons

Yay!


	6. Separation

Well now, that was a long time. NOTE: From here on, I may take a long time before posting; my schedule is getting much busier. NOTE 2: If you don't like my cheesy romantic part, TELL ME!! I WILL FIX IT!!

Part 6: Separation

It was very unusual for Torn or Ashelin to have free time, and it was even rarer for them to have time off at the same time. In the rare event that they did, Torn and Ashelin usually chose to spend it together.

It was so that Torn was in his apartment, lying on the couch with Ashelin reclining on his lap. They were facing the large window, watching the scene of chaos that was the city. Ashelin twined her fingers through Torn's.

"I love you," she whispered, "and I don't want anything to happen to you," she said. "That's why I don't want you to go looking for something I don't know if you'll find,"

"I'm sorry for what I said," Said Torn quietly, "but I still want to go look,"

"I know you can handle yourself, but can't it wait?"

"Ash," said Torn. Ashelin turned over to face him. "I love my job. I love _you_ more." Ashelin smiled. Torn pulled her face closer and kissed her, wrapping his arms around Ashelin's body. This time, there was no reason for them to separate. They continued to make out for several minutes, until Torn pulled away.

"But my job is necessary for our survival,"

Ashelin didn't want to argue; all she wanted was to feel Torn's continued presence next to her. She didn't say a word.

"I'm leaving tonight," said Torn decisively. "Torn, no!" whispered Ashelin.

"It has to be done," he replied. Once again, he pressed his mouth to hers-and neither of them disengaged.

Unlike many other people, Torn had the ability to wake up at any time he wanted. At twelve o'clock sharp, Torn's eyes opened from his light sleep. He knew what he had to do.

He carefully pulled the blanket off himself, being careful not to wake Ashelin, who was lying next to him. Five minutes later, he was fully equipped and ready to go.

Being sure to not make the slightest noise, Torn padded around to Ashelin's side of the bed. He bent his head over Ashelin, his lips just brushing her cheek. When Ashelin murmured and turned over in her sleep, Torn froze. If she woke, his case was blown.

Imagine his surprise when Ashelin reached a hand up and kissed him! Torn kept still as a statue. She sighed and turned over again, still sound asleep! Torn let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and was out the door in less than thirty seconds.

Having checked out a low-flying desert skimmer from the FL (freedom league) HQ, Torn was now skimming over the endless sands, searching for any trace of the missing hero. He knew that if Jak was found, he could have important information about the Metal Heads, and that he could _finally _lead an expedition into the Westside to see what the existing Metal Heads were up to.

What he _didn't _know was that there was a horde of small Metal Heads tracking his every movement from beneath the sand-and that Ashelin had followed him and was quickly catching up in her superior Hellcat cruiser.

Then three things happened at once.

A large unarmed Metal Head erupted from beneath the sand, right under Torn's cruiser.

Its paws smacked the bottom of the seen-better-days cruiser with considerable force, causing it to flip over.

Ashelin's Hellcat swooped down from the sky and blasted the beast into oblivion before it could do any more damage.

But she was too late-the cruiser was already bent almost in half and flaming. Gently setting the military-grade craft down, she leaped up, her heavy pistol already out of its holster and blasting away at the Metal Heads massed around the wreck.

Torn emerged from the flames like Jak from the explosion of Cyber Errol's…whatever it was. (But you get my point.)

His sleeve was tattered and smoke had turned his eyes red. He was fighting like a demon; no unarmed Metal Head could get near him. It seemed at first that the two ex-Krimzon Guards had the upper hand, but they tired quickly and, after all, they were only two people. The ferocity and seemingly unlimited numbers of the Metal Heads were pushing Torn and Ashelin back. They were holding their own, but the two leaders couldn't hold out forever.

"Ash," Torn finally rasped. "Go to Spargus. I can hold my ground. Get reinforcements."

"I can't just leave you here!" cried Ashelin. Her supply of ammunition was dwindling; it could run out any second now.

"I need to find Jak! It's the reason I came to this godforsaken desert! And I have a feeling that I'm getting closer," Torn argued.

A scorpion Metal Head broke free of the wave and was about to decapitate Ashelin before Torn shot it. "Are you crazy, man? You need to get out of here RIGHT NOW!" Ashelin roared, firing her final shot. She now relied on her personal combat training and swift reflexes to stay alive.

"Just go," said the stubborn Torn, still focusing on the fracas all around him. At Torn's obsession with Jak and his lack of sense, Ashelin lost her cool.

"Have it your way, then! I'm leaving! You have fun fighting those monsters…and it's over, Torn! Hear me? OVER!" she screamed at him. Without a backward glance, Ashelin leaped into her somewhat battered Hellcat and flew off to HQ, but not before firing a bomb into the midst of Torn's adversaries. Even though Torn had managed to incur her wrath, Ashelin still couldn't keep a few tears from slipping down her face.

"No!" yelled Torn, without looking back. The combined shock from the bomb and his girlfriend's sudden breakup knocked Torn off balance for a second.

Even one moment was enough-with his guard down, a Metal Head clouted Torn with its shield, and with a swift movement, pinned the man to the ground. Its firearm was uncomfortably close to Torn's eye. Torn heard a grunted order. The shielded beast nodded once, and then smote the leader across the face with his shield once, hard enough to knock him out. His body was unceremoniously dragged to their transport, and carted off to the abode of the Metal Heads.

That's chapter six. Now that I have three stories going, it's harder to have them all updated in time.


	7. Last Minute Changes

The plotline really kicks off from here.

Part 7: Last-Minute Changes

Payne's Theme: Butterflies and Hurricanes-Muse

_Change, everything you are_

_And everything you were_

_Your number has been called_

_Fights, battles have begun_

_Revenge will surely come_

_Your hard times are ahead_

_Best, you've got to be the best_

_You've got to change the world, and use this chance to be heard_

_Your time is now_

This will make sense later.For now, READ and REVIEW! Just because it's chapter 7 and the last chapter was too soppy or whatever, that doesn't mean you don't have to REVIEW!!

CHAPTER 7 START

"Lord Payne, I think the planned meeting…should be called off," Spyke advised his master. "And why would that be so?" asked the leader, his voice soft and dangerous.

"It turns out that the man we captured searching for his comrade in the desert…happens to be a…leader of the resistance," Spyke replied, choosing his words carefully.

For the first time, Payne turned around. "Really?" he asked. He sounded genuinely interested. "Yes. I believe he is a major commander of the Freedom League's forces."

"That's interesting….very interesting…" murmured Payne. Spyke could almost see the cogs turning in his devious brain. "Bring me the other leaders we captured in the first assault. I have plans for them…"

Torn awoke facedown in the harsh stone floor of a cell. The whole right side of his face ached from the knockout blow. A memory of his first capture by the Krimzon Guard swept across his mind.

(A/N: Check out my other story Krimzon Dawn, this story and that one are tied together, if you get what I mean.)

The leader groaned in pain and tried to rise. His muscles felt as if they had been turned to honey mustard; his legs would not support him. He fell back to his knees. _I must have been drugged, _he thought.

The feeling of helplessness was ten times worse than the pain. He was lying like a vegetable on the floor of a prison cell with his entire body aching, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Torn was not surprised to find his twin holsters empty; he simply wondered where he was.

A thin line of light appeared around the edge of the door. It clumsily lurched open, grating on unoiled hinges. The figure in front of him was tall, slim, and muscular. He spoke in a voice that commanded attention, and was used to getting attention.

"I know who you are."

At the same time, Spyke was at the other prisoner lockup. He opened the door to the other prisoners. Keira and Daxter stared out at him. He beckoned, speaking in an imperious tone. "Come."

Payne already had Torn strapped to the table. "Ah, I believe you are a military commander for the Freedom League." Torn's answer was only to spit at the Metal Head.

"Now, now, Torn. Yes, I know your name. Remember me?" he asked. The leader did not respond.

"I know you do. I also know that you very well know I launched another attack wave on Haven after sending eight Wasteland warriors. What I don't think you know is that I have prisoners." A maniacal gleam entered Payne's eyes. Torn was horrified at thoughts of what might be happening to them.

"It's not them I want. It's you," he said quietly, leaning down to whisper. "Why me?" asked Torn loudly.

"They are not generals. And I am calling off the meeting in the Precursor Monk Temple; we can talk now."

"Now?" asked Torn. "Here and now," replied the Metal Head leader.

"Alright, metal face, what do you want?" asked Torn boldly.

"I will not tolerate rudeness!" Payne's voice now contained a touch of steel. "I want Haven. The entire city! I will tell you my grounds, and you can tell me yours. I will also show you a piece of my army and what they can do.

"You first." He finished.

_All right, I'll play along, _Torn thought. "You're not taking Haven for a few reasons. First, it's a city built for humans, not beasts! We built it to keep creatures like you out. Second, we have no other place to go. Spargus is too desolate; less than one-half of Haven's citizens would make it past their first Arena trial.

"The Freedom League enlisted all the human members of the Krimzon Guard. If you razed the city, how would you get them to fight for you and bolster your ranks?"

"Who said I wanted to raze the city?" asked Payne. He looked at a large digital clock on the wall. "Time's up. My turn.

"My army is bred for combat and far superior to yours. It is impossible for their armor to be knocked off. Our Nest is getting cramped, and is vulnerable to attack."

_Vulnerable to attack? _

"We have almost exhausted the Dark Eco mines nearby.

"And now it is time to call in a unit I have picked out for this purpose." Payne pulled his communicator from its holster on his belt and raised it. He spoke in the Metal Head tongue of growls and gestures.

Suddenly, the two inch-thick steel doors shook and buckled from many impacts on the other side. Slowly, a clawed hand punched through on the right, then the left. The claws gouged away at the thick metal portals, a whirlwind of talons and steel.

In less than ten minutes, the room had been breached by two sinewy beings.

"The Dark Ones," said Payne. There were touches of pride and fondness in his tone. "My masterpieces."

Torn could only sit, speechless. _The girl seems familiar somehow…_

"Don't you see what they are? Shay, Spyke, release," he commanded. They immediately fell to their knees and seemed to be in agony, struggling with an invisible nemesis. A second later, they both stood up to show themselves unharmed.

"They're…human," whispered Torn, horrified. _Shay! I had no idea…I thought she died three years ago! _

"No. They are superhuman." On cue, Shay and Spyke let the dark being inside them take control once more. This time, instead of a human shape, Metal Head plates sprouted from their skin and manifested their bodies. "Shay, target seven. Spyke, get number one," This had no meaning to Torn, but the Dark Ones sprang into action immediately.

One wall of the operating room slid open to reveal a firing range. The targets were at least one hundred yards away. _How in hell are they going to hit those? _Torn's question was immediately answered as the six-foot, muscular Spyke took off running for one target, stowing his armor inside his flesh.

Shay stayed where she was, generating two orbs of Dark Eco around her fists. Spyke reached the target, splintered it with one blow of his hand, and returned to the room in ten seconds.

At the same time, Shay leaped ten feet into the air and quickly shot off the two Eco globes. Target seven happened to be a moving target, with one part behind the other. She was a sharp shooter; both Eco spheres hit quickly.

Torn's poor head was swimming with these revelations. "And that's not all. Shay?" She exited the room for a moment, then returned with a large, dangerous object in her hands. "Is that a…." asked Torn, his voice fading in mid-sentence. "Aren't those obsolete? Haven't they been obsolete for ages?"

She was holding a double-hilted broadsword, which looked far too heavy and inconvenient to do damage in a world of guns. "Far from it," said Payne. He pulled a rifle from a wall rack and handed it to Spyke. He banished the darkness, then shot at her.

Shay brought a blade up impossibly fast and blocked the shot. It rebounded back at Spyke, who dodged the bolt. He fired off five more shots at random parts of her body, and Shay reflected them all, advancing closer to Spyke all the time.

It seemed that Shay was about to slice off Spyke's head, but instead lodged the blade deep in the wall.

_Damn! I thought she was good in the Krimzon Guard! _ "So you see," said Payne triumphantly. "It would take ten of your soldiers to kill one of mine. And you, my friend, have a choice to make.

"You can let me into Haven, and I will not harm you. However, it reaps consequences on your companions." Spyke dragged the bound forms of Keira and Daxter into the room. "No!" cried Torn.

"Or you can join them," said Payne, pointing a finger at Shay and Spyke. "Your friends will not be harmed."

Torn was in a horrible dilemma. He could either damn himself, or all of Haven. There would be darkness either way. _Yes! _He screamed in his mind. _I've always wanted power…now I have a chance to get it! _ His more selfish side argued, _Save yourself! Your life is more valuable than theirs! Anyway, what's a girl and a half to an essential Freedom Guard commander? _

It was not really in Torn's nature to send two innocents knowingly to their deaths. There had been no choice for him from the start. _This is why Payne wanted me..._

Torn licked his dry lips and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm strapped to an infusion table, aren't I?"

END CHAPTER 7

I shall not post the next chapter until somebody REVIEWS THIS ONE or chap. 6.


	8. Payne: An Elusive Goal

OK, I had to sort out some problems, but I'm back! Here you go…

Part 8: Payne: An Elusive Goal

As Payne settled himself in Torn's mind, he found his thoughts straying to his own long past.

**(A/N: start 1****st****-person here)**

I have existed as a genetic experiment for longer than any creature, human, or Sage has deemed possible. In a different time and age, I had everything…power, a partner, and a good reputation. Believe it or not, I was once a human. I seeked power, and it was my job to possess it.

My name was Gol.

The other Sages tried to stop me from gaining the darkness, but I took no heed. Their petty warnings and worries were nothing to me. They eventually became extreme annoyances, so my wife Maia and I took them, for they would interfere with my plan to open the Eco silos and introduce this world to the incredible power that I had discovered.

Everything went according to plan until _he _showed up. That little boy destroyed my Precursor robot and imprisoned Maia and I in the Eco silo.

The other Eco sages then left me for dead. They should have known better; they should have known my desire to experiment more with the power of Dark Eco. Maia and I blasted our way out of the still-floating robot head to access the vast supply of Eco beneath.

Over the course of a year, Maia and I became extremely powerful, feeding off the dark energy. Using our power together, we blasted a hole in the silo, and we climbed out to see the world once more.

The people had become lax and inattentive; they were not expecting us to open the silo once more. Once again using our power, my wife and I managed to pull open the silo and allow pure darkness to flood the earth. We were…foolish in this action. We did not, in fact, factor in the existence of a walled and protected city, resistant to the flood of power.

The pure energy was too much for us, and we were nearly eaten alive by the corrosive Eco. All the humans not inside the city were transformed to Hora-quan, also known as Metal Heads. The Eco also made all the land outside the small patch arid and unusable. The Metal Heads found our twisted and battered bodies and took us to their nests. There, we were the subjects of horrible experiments once they found out about our dark powers.

To restore our bodies, they gave us Metal Head skin grafts and plate armor-and a new name that I am now known by, Payne. Their leader turned Maia out, for I was more powerful. I do not know what became of her, or if she is still living. All I do remember is that she is no longer on this land; she boarded a ship and sailed across the seas to find a new place to thrive.

I worked my way through the ranks of the Hora-quan, eventually becoming the head of a project parallel to Baron Praxis' Dark Warrior Project.We would take Praxis' failed experiments from the Wasteland, where he dropped them, and inject them with much more Eco.

I recall our first experiment, Shay. We took her captive in a battle with the Krimzon Guard, and then discovered her dark prowess and skill with her double-bladed sword, known as a deathblade, when she was about to be executed with the rest of them.

We made the most upgrades to her; she is by far the most potent Dark One, other than me, of course. Before long, she had begun to be described as "sharp as that deathblade of hers, and ten times more dangerous." She was only the starting point.

Then came Spyke. He was the most accepting of my experiments, and my natural choice for second-in-command.

Shay was quite defiant, and so not my ideal dark warrior. There came twelve others-and Jak.

He is my latest captive, and will eventually be a fine soldier. Now, there is the matter of Torn, the former Krimzon Guard and Freedom League commander.

Once I have pumped enough Eco into him, I think his lust for power-for I feel it in his mind-will destroy and remake him, just as it did to me. He has already been part of the Dark Warrior project, and has a juvenile dark form inside him; he just needs to make it prevail.

Then, I can see the last non-corrupted piece of land on this continent, and revel in its ugliness before I cleanse this land of light, once and for all.

**(A/N: From now on, whenever I put someone's name in front of the chapter title, it's a first-person account, with them in the hot seat. I hope you liked this!)**


	9. Torn: Justifications

Call me dramatic, but this had to happen. Enjoy!

Part 9: Torn: Justifications

You don't know what it feels like.

The dark lightning is…It's something more interesting than I've ever encountered in my life. I hate it.

I hate that darkness. The energy left behind from when I was a subject in the Dark Warrior Project still comes back to haunt me today.

Yet I can't stop myself from wanting to be something…something different...something _more. _I don't want to be the ordinary KG and Freedom League commander that I've been all my life. I want the power granted by the darkness. If I had power, then I could be…I could do anything, accomplish any feat.

You probably don't understand, so let's put it this way. I hate it. I hate Dark Eco infusions.

But I love the power. The sensation it causes when the Eco enters your bloodstream is…indescribable. It feels like it has a mind of its own, rushing throughout your body through the millions of blood vessels. Of course, the pain is something else entirely. On the downside, the Eco swells the vessels to the breaking point and beyond.

After one of my most intense infusions during the DWP, the doctors found that one of my arteries had internally ruptured because of the Eco overload. I recall his exact words: 

_"It happens very often, in stage ten or eleven of the project. The subjects just can't take it anymore, or someone overdoses on the Eco. A major artery bursts, and bam, they're gone. Absolutely nothing we can do. You are extremely lucky to be alive, young man."_

Well, I can't help not feeling lucky now. Think about it: I'm strapped to in infusion table in unholy pain, while a half-Metal Head is listening in on my thoughts. That's not very lucky, is it?

Anyway, after the initial agony reduces, a certain feeling is left behind, mingled with the pain is…a certain feeling. I just can't put a name to it. It makes you feel…like you're on top of the world, you can do anything, and the world is at your command: All you have to do is grab the reins, and you're off.

You're off on a tour of destruction and anger before you implode because of your own repellent self and what you've become.

I know because I've felt it…at least part of it. I was about to self-destruct when someone intervened…someone very special to me. In that moment, she pretty much saved my life.

I miss you, Ashelin. I…I'm sorry I lied to you. The real reason I was in the desert wasn't Jak. Yes, I wanted him back, but the real reason I dared to sneak out at midnight, after we had the most phenomenal time of our lives**(A/N: Hint, hint...)**, was that I felt the tug of dark power once more.

That moment…You have no idea how much it hurt me, the idea of sneaking out, maybe to never see you again. Well, now's a perfect time for an _I told you so. _Let's catch up later, Ashelin. I have a lot to tell you when…and if…I'll ever see you again. Just, please know that I love you.

Love is an odd feeling. You know when it's happening, and nothing ever seems to stop it, not even darkness. Dark power can't stop love. In the DWP, I still felt affection for Ashelin, even when she was the perpetrator of my hated Eco infusions. I guess that pushes Dark Eco down to the second-most powerful substance in the universe, then…

I know anything's possible with Dark Eco. In my mind, it actually is the most powerful: It's the most powerful controllable substance in the world. I know dark powers can be manipulated to do anything you want, if you tweak and stretch them enough.

So, I'm sorry, Ashelin, Tess, Jak, and everyone else in the Underground or Freedom League. I'm sorry if you see my arguments as…as greed, or lust, or simply power-hungriness, but you need to see the point of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see me pour my heart out.

I...I need to make you see my arguments, to see the truth in my deciscion.

Once more, I'm sorry.

This is why I've decided to side with Payne.


	10. Acquiesence

Whee, it's been a long time. Long chapter, too. Check it out.

Part 10: Acquiescence

Two days had passed since Torn took his first intense infusion and had his upgrade surgeries completed. Five weeks exactly had gone since Jak had gone through his. It was now that the last droplets of sedative in his body finally wore off.

Jak's eyes opened to the same underground room he had had his infusion in. He started as the unnoticed Payne raised his head and walked towards him.

"Ah, I see you are awake at last. Don't exert yourself by speaking; I have a lot to tell you about.

"Welcome to our city, our Nest, as you may call it. A good fraction of us Hora-quan are not fighters; we are not all the bloodthirsty beasts you see in war. We have a city here.

"Us Metal Heads are just like you Havenians, Jak. We are just like you. We have a civilized society, with an economy and shops and a Stadium like Haven used to have. We thrive here.

"So why do we want to take Haven for ourselves? I don't want to capture it; I don't want to raze it to the ground. How would I benefit from destroying Haven? Oh, no. If I were to capture Haven, I could make it impenetrable. I could make an indestructible realm of darkness out of that city.

"Our current location is deep underground, under the archipelago of islands off the coast of Spargus. That's another city I could help on its way to greatness, but it is less defended than Haven; it will not last as long. But if I could capture it, I could use it as a strong foothold to get another Nest started.

"That's why I need you, Jak. You have a Gate Pass. You're a Wastelander. Espionage is the best and easiest way to bring a city's inner structures down before pulling out the heavy artillery.

"Care to join?"

Jak looked in surprise at the Metal Head-human hybrid. He looked so powerful and capable, with all his upgrades and the darkness Jak knew was hidden beneath his skin.

Maybe it was the increased Dark Eco, lingering in his brain. Or it could have been the sedatives, making Jak's head fuzzy. Whatever the reason, Jak then made a historical decision that would be discussed by psychologists and Ecologists for years to come.

Ignoring Payne's instructions, he opened his dry, cracked lips and took a deep breath. "Yes," he whispered. The sound of his voice seemed to rebound around inside his head before finally leaving his mouth, and lingering for many minutes after it was done.

_What? Did I just say I'd join the Metal Heads? Am I going insane? What kind of a person am I becoming? _To his surprise, another voice in his head answered his thought question.

**You are choosing your path,**it said. **Excellent choice; you will grow strong from this. **Dark's voice suddenly seemed to be echoing Jak's thoughts; the balanced self found himself believing the dark individual. _Yes, _Jak convinced himself. _I made the right choice. _

"Excellent." Payne stood and beckoned. "I expect your strength is returning, now. Let's see if you can pry those bands open."

Four metal bands crisscrossed Jak's chest, holding him down. He obligingly set his fingers in the cracks and, with all his strength, heaved outwards. Jak, surprised, found that he could bend the steel as easily as bending cardboard – not too hard, but with a little pressure.

Payne smiled. "Your upgrades have been accepted," he said, satisfied. "Upgrades?" Asked the mystified Jak. Payne directed the newest Dark One to his patrol leader.

Payne ignored the question to help Jak rise from the table. Odd sensations lingered in his knees – like they were stronger than ever, but at the moment, were weak as a baby's. The Metal Head helped the newest Dark One to his patrol leader, who was waiting outside the room.

She growled something to Payne in the Metal Head tongue, but Jak found himself understanding the harsh – sounding language. **This is him? You've got to be kidding me. **She said, disgruntled. **What on earth is he going to do? He's **_**weak! **_

Payne replied angrily, **He's experimental. Now follow your orders. **The patrol leader snapped to attention and saluted, and then beckoned to Jak. "Come," she said shortly. "First training session."

Jak looked curiously at his new patrol leader. She was just about his height, with pale, almost translucent skin and jet-black, long hair. A web of tattoos edged about half of her black-irised right eye. A tattooed snake coiled around her left bicep. Jak thought he saw the snake move, but he dismissed it as a trick of the low underground light.

The muscular, fit leader led the increasingly stronger Jak into a steel cube not unlike his infusion room in Haven, minus the chair. The six-inch door swung shut behind Jak, and found himself facing his patrol leader.

She moved with the speed of a striking cobra and the strength of a tiger. The patrol leader that Jak hadn't known for any more than a minute sunk her fist into his stomach, winding him and doubling him over. It was now a simple matter for the cunning leader to execute a quick judo throw and slam him facedown into the solid floor. Before he could make another move, she had planted a knee firmly on his back, preventing him from rising, or even breathing too deeply.

"Listen carefully," she said loudly. Her clear voice was aggressive and cold as steel as it rebounded off the walls.

"I'm Shay, your new patrol leader. I know who you are. Everybody does, and no one wants you here. Not right before we have to actually be used. You are weak and slow. You obviously will not be of any use to anyone if you join in the attack now. You can't even fend off a surprise attack – and even when I'm not dark!

"That's why it's my job to teach you how to do…_everything_…before we get to do _anything _of importance. So, I'm Shay, and nobody wants you here except Payne."

This being said, Shay withdrew her knee from Jak's back, and he carefully rose, keeping his back to his new patrol leader. _God, what did I just get myself into? What are we attacking? Is this going to happen every day? _

Something suddenly occurred to him. **Jak let me out! I can help…I can dispose of her! I can make you the best, make you wanted! **_Yes, _he thought. _That is the way. I need my revenge. What did I ever do to her? _

He rose to his full height and, while quickly whirling, let his rage out. The darkness burst from him like a wave as he swung a paw at her, so fast he could only see a blur. _What…what happened to my body? I have…Metal Head armor! _

Jak did not have time to dwell on this thought, as Shay had simply sidestepped his blow and grasped his forearm in an unyielding grip, using his own momentum to pull him off balance and swing him around to smash the dark form into a wall. Before he could even think, Shay had pinned him against the wall.

Jak's attempted vengeance brought a smile to her lips, the last thing he would have expected. "Good," she said, in a lighter tone than before. "You're learning. This is good; you're not stupid as a chunk of cheese. From now, I'll be attacking you at any given time. It is up to you to defend yourself; it isn't my fault if I _accidentally _injure you too badly to participate…."

With one hand, she abruptly spun Jak around and pinned him to the wall again. This time, one of her hands held a double-bladed broadsword.

"This is Dethfang, my blade. Payne lets me keep it because I can use it for deflection or attack, rudimentary as it seems. Here; let me show you something."

The deathblade whistled down a fraction of a centimeter from Jak's left arm. He flinched at the speed and precision of the stroke, before noticing a burning pain that sprung up in his elbow. Dark looked down to see a perfect sliver of his forearm plate sliced off, lying on the ground. Glancing up at her again, he noticed a snake identical to the one on her bicep wound around the handle of the sword.

"It's Dark Eco – imbued," Shay answered to Jak's unsaid question: _How on earth…?_ "And those plates? It's Payne's way of making us better, faster, stronger. He upgrades us with Metal Head plates, sewing them into our skin…" Jak noticed the bitter tone creeping into her voice once more.

Shay paused, and murmured something to her. "Alright, soldier; you just had upgrades, so I'll let you off easy today. Be ready for tomorrow! Since you are still not of use to us, you are not an official Dark One. Therefore, you are still our prisoner, and you're in cell 15, I hope you like your cellmate.

_Cellmate? Uh-oh...I hope it's not like last time they put me in a cell..._Jak felt the scars on his back throb to the time of his heartbeat.

"Here's the key," Shay continued. "Training starts at 0600 hours tomorrow; be ready by then," She tossed Jak a small chip and left through the same door she came through.

Jak took a few minutes to suppress the stronger – than – ever dark force before heading down the hall to the dungeons. He easily located #15, slightly disappointed at the fact that they had crammed two people in a cell for one. He slid the chip into the slot and cautiously opened the door, unsure of what he would find.

He closed the door and found himself looking at a green - haired girl sitting on the bed with goggles around her neck and the welding gloves still on her hands. "Keira?" he whispered incredulously.

She looked up and stared deep into Jak's eyes. After a moment, she stood and walked to him, keeping her head down and speaking softly.

"You're just another hallucination, aren't you?" she said after a moment. She pulled off the gloves that hid the latticework of fresh scars on her hands and wrists, carefully extending a hand to gently brush his chest. "Just another figure that appears after I bleed too much when they cut me again."

"Keira!" cried Jak happily. "What did they do to you?"

"They ask me the same thing, over and over," she replied, in the same soft tone she had started in. "They ask me to join them, and I say no again, and then they cut me. Or beat me. Or burn me. Whatever it is, it hurts. But I still say no." Keira had obviously either lost a lot of blood, hadn't eaten in the last two weeks, or was high. Jak suspected the two former.

"Keira, it's me," murmured Jak desperately. "It really is. They took me, too." He enclosed his small lacerated hand in his large, whole one.

"We can do this together," he said to her in a stronger voice. "We can defeat the Metal Heads. We can live through this together."Even as he said it, Jak felt the sick sensation of guilt clench his body in its cold hands.

_I lied to her! I told her we'd defeat them together...I joined them! _Dark Jak quickly interrupted. **Hmph, you made the right deciscion, **it said loudly. **You are becoming stronger every day, and you can always betray once you are fully strengthened. **

_Fine. But for now, let's focus on Keira. _

Then he put his arms around her, as he had not in more than a month. He looked down at her, and remembered once more everything they had been through. "We'll be okay," he said encouragingly. He watched as Keira finally faced him.

"It really is you," she said simply. Jak was relieved as an elated expression spread across her face and Keira took his face in her hands. He put his arms around her body again and brought his face closer to hers.

"Yes," she whispered. And then they kissed, putting their troubles aside for another time.

Shay was right; Jak needed the sleep.


	11. Teachers

I'm not dead! I just took a long time to write it.

Part 11: Teachers

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE QUOTE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS CHAPTER. **I just thought it fit.

This is a long chapter. And I mean LONG.

(line)

"'_All right,' Ender gasped. 'You win.'_

_The man's knee thrust painfully downward. 'Since when,' asked the man, his voice soft and rasping, 'do you have to tell the enemy when he has won?'_

_Ender remained silent._

'_I surprised you once, Ender Wiggin. Why didn't you destroy me immediately afterward? Just because I looked peaceful? You turned your back on me. Stupid. You have learned nothing. You have never had a teacher.'_

_Ender was angry now, and made no attempt to control or conceal it. 'I've had too many teachers, how was I supposed to know you'd turn out to be a – '_

'_An enemy, Ender Wiggin,' whispered the old man. 'I am your enemy, the first one you've ever had who was smarter than you. There is no teacher but the enemy. No one but the enemy will tell you what the enemy is going to do. No one but the enemy will ever teach you how to destroy and conquer. Only the enemy shows you where you are weak. Only the enemy tells you where he is strong. And the rules of the game are what you can do to him and what you can stop him from doing to you. I am your enemy from now on. From now on I am your teacher." _

From Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card

**AN: The **_italics _**are when Jak is thinking to himself; the boldface is when Dark Jak is thinking to Jak. Enjoy!**

Jak woke instantly from Keira's side when the buzzer sounded at 0545. He pulled open the door to his cell and advanced into the corridor, turning towards the training room that he and Shay had used the day before.

He had not gone for more than a second before he felt a huge weight collide with the side of his head, the unexpected blow knocking him off balance and into the rough rock of the cave tunnel. Once more, Jak found himself being pinned to the wall.

_No more. I won't let her do this again. _

Before Shay had time to finish trapping her soldier against the wall, he ducked and twisted out of her grip, turning to face her and only just restraining himself from letting the Dark Eco out and pounding her flat.

_Oh, my God. What am I doing? _

**You're learning. The only way to prevent her from attacking you in the future is to injure her badly enough that she won't try again. **

_Maybe you're right. I'll try next time. _

"Why are you doing this to me?" he growled, the Dark Eco rising in him with his anger.

"You need to learn about what we're going to be doing. You need to learn about the enemy. The enemy will not show you any mercy, nor will you give it. The enemy lies, tricks, and cheats to win. The enemy doesn't give a damn about you. And I am your enemy, until you pass your first Assignment." Shay answered the hard, toughened look on her face once more.

"And you're also learning. That was a good first attempt; be ready for next time. But sadly, today, you'll be attempting to break your powers with Payne. Hmm, that means I don't have anyone to throw around today. But it's just as well; you'll be stronger when he lets you out, and therefore be harder to beat up…"

**You know, she is right. **

_About what? _

**You're learning, as I said before, and the only way for you to do it is to know firsthand the pain and caution. **

_Whatever you say. _

Shay murmured to herself as she walked away, leaving Jak to find his way to Payne's infusion room. The leader himself intercepted Jak before he reached it, and guided the Dark One – in – training to another, smaller space. The two hybrid species sat cross – legged on the sandy floor and began their training.

Payne began to speak. "Part of your training is physical; the other is a more complex study, of Eco. I understand you have specific abilities you can perform?"

Jak nodded and demonstrated his Dark Bomb, Dark Blast, and Dark Strike.

"How exactly did you learn how to perform these?"

"The Precursor Oracle hit me with a bolt of some kind and I…I just knew how to do the Bomb and Blast. I learned how to do my Dark Strike when I destroyed a Dark Eco basin by hand."

"Ah." Payne looked thoughtful. "So…This will be harder than I thought."

The six – foot – tall Metal Head stood and signaled for Jak to return to normal. Jak did so, and then realized he was on eye level with the Metal Head. _Hmm…Must've made me taller…or something. _

"Before I can demonstrate, I need to get in your head…again. Get used to it; it's the only way I can teach you. So give me your hand."

_Oh, no. He's going inside my head again? _Jak was understandably reluctant to hold out his hand.

**Get over it, Jak. **The dark form continued talking. **If you want to get stronger, you have to sacrifice some things, including a little blood. **

_Grr…Fine. _Jak extended his right hand to the Metal Head.

"Be careful," warned Payne. "Watch where I cut your wrist. If you go too high or low, you will bleed to death."

_Ahh! What if he misses? _

**Just trust him. He's done this for fourteen other Dark Ones. **

_You're right. I'll shut up now. _

Payne supported Jak's wrist with one perpetually clawed hand, while the other was carefully drawing one claw across the very, very heel of his hand, right under where the tough flesh of the palms starts.

Jak felt a surprising amount of stinging pain from that one cut hit him.

_Wow, he must have something in his claws to make it that painful. _

**Of course. Watch! **

Payne brought a vial out of his belt and caught a little blood in it, quickly corking it and placing it on a tray. He then brought his claws back to the cut, inserting the very tips of the talons in Jak's cut and injecting Dark Eco and another black substance into it before bringing glue to seal up the slash.

"Are you sure it's safe to use glue to close a cut?"

"Certainly. Do you not use it in Haven?" Payne looked genuinely surprised.

"No, we stitch up deep cuts with a needle and thread."

"Interesting." He smiled lightly and began to apply the glue.

**Jak? Good, I can hear you, **said Payne. **Watch carefully. **

The leader sat Jak down in a corner and walked out to the middle of the room. **Just so you know, the link works both ways. You can sense into my mind as I talk to yours. **

Jak tried it, finding Payne's swirling mass of thoughts in about a quarter of the Metal Head's brain, that was not corrupted by Dark Eco.

**Sense me as I do this. **Jak felt Payne visualize his dark form. Then he did it once more, without lightning. This image took over his entire brain, concentrating every scrap of gray matter he had to visualizing the image. Then, while keeping the image fresh in his mind, Payne turned Dark, the Metal Head plates that were solely for combat purposes sliding out of his skin. Jak noticed only a few plates emerging, and only then realized that Payne had a few plates cemented in his normal form as well.

No lightning was emitted. No sound was made. He simply slid from one form to the other completely noiselessly.

**You can try this later. But I must demonstrate a few more things. **

The Metal Head leader assumed his normal form once more,

Payne allowed the lightning to escape – but for the Dark Sage, his body released fire instead of electricity. Dark flames licked along his limbs, threatening to devour him at any second. He carefully formed his index fingers and thumbs into a triangle, keeping it at arm's length.

Jak then sensed Payne feeling the depth of his own power, mustering it to his fingers, charging it in one area. When it was enough, he visualized an image for one instant, and then let it loose.

The power made a dark film appear in the triangle for less than an instant before it was ignited by the small breath of flaming air Payne gently blew at it. The membrane turned into a pillar of fire that extended for more than two yards before fading away.

**That is a basic skill, and it is what you must do. The power is flexible; you can charge it any way you want to, in any part of your body. You can even change its form, like from electricity to fire, like I have as my default. But that will come later; first try this. **

As he stood, Jak felt Payne recede from his mind, and the dark form take his place.

**Seems easy enough, don't you think? **

_I have a feeling this is one of those things that's harder than it seems. _

**Maybe. Why don't you try? **

_I guess nothing bad could happen…_

"Try only withholding your armor first," suggested Payne. "It will make the next task easier."

Jak visualized a picture of himself without the plates. He concentrated his mind on the image, every bit except that making the transition from light to dark. While he let the dark form take over, he tried to hold on to the image and keep the plates from sliding out: He could feel them pushing outwards against his skin, trying to escape from the confines of his body. Jak kept thinking of the image and fiercely struggling with his body, while repeating one thought:

_No plates. No plates. No plates. No plates…_

After five minutes of this struggle, Dark Jak finally emerged with no armor.

**Ahh, that feels so much better. Do you have *any* idea how heavy those things are? **

_No. Do you? _

**Actually, I don't either. That was meant to be a rhetorical question…**

"Good. I know you are tired, but we have yet to finish this training session." Payne rose from his seat in the corner and walked to the previously unnoticed weapons rack on the wall.

_Have you noticed that there aren't very many firearms here? All I see are swords and the Metal Head built-in launchers. _

**Hmmm, you're right. Maybe we'll see more of this now. **

The rack had standard-issue Freedom League Tri-guns, portable Dark Eco sidearms meant to be clipped on to the wrist and fired, large shields, and two-foot-long, razor-sharp curved swords. The one weapon that truly caught Jak's eye, however, was the magnificent blade that sat on top of the rack.

The edge alone was almost four feet long. A six-inch portion directly above the hilt, on the left side, had been meticulously sharpened into ripping spikes. On the right, a foot from the tip, the edge flared outward a few inches to form a broader point on one side. Instead of a disk-shaped hilt, like the other short swords, the cross-hilt was formed of a double-pointed spike, with the sword-blade thrust through it. A smooth, perfectly straight handle extended outward, long enough for Jak to fit both his large hands on it with a good six inches to spare.

_My God, it's…_

**Powerful. Can you feel the Eco in it? **

_You're right. _

It could simply have been a well-made sword for a collector in Haven City, if not for the luster…or lack of luster. Darkness seemed to emanate from within, gobbling up the light around it and resembling a shadow. Now, Jak also felt the throbbing of Dark energy inside it, a reservoir of power even larger than Shay's as he had felt it the day before.

"She's beautiful, is she not?" inquired Payne. It took Jak a moment to realize he was referring to the sword.

"This is Shadow. I made her myself before my acceptance test into the inner clan of the Metal Heads."

"Anyway, I want you to see the strength of your plates. Turn Dark for me," ordered Payne.

Jak quickly let the dark energy and attached Metal Head plates cover him, then stood at the far end of the room while Payne focused the scope of a sniper rifle on a chest plate.

_Crack! _The gun's report sounded around the room as the energy bolt struck Jak. He barely felt the impact through the layers of armor.

**Efficient, **commented Dark. **This will make me more efficient. You ought to thank Payne for giving you those grafts. **

_Why don't you do it yourself, O high and mighty? _

**Because I still, after no less than three and a half years after I was conceived, haven't figured out how to use those vocal cords of yours. **

The Metal Head leader advanced towards Jak and the weapons.

"There is nothing to fear from Freedom Guards and Wastelanders on the field of battle, unless they have a Peacemaker." He twisted his face in an odd look. "Sig is the one factor we need to disable before the attack on Spargus can begin. That gun of his is extremely deadly. But anyway, time for another demonstration."

Payne took a few Gun Course targets that had been behind the rack and set them around the room. "Stand back," he instructed Jak.

He tensed his legs, balanced Shadow in his hand, and suddenly leaped to the first target, about three meters away. It was vaporized with a single stroke of the blade while Payne was still in the air. He used the momentum to leap off of one foot to the next target, which he batted in the air with the flat of the blade before summoning a Dark ray from the sword's pool of energy and blasting the steel-coated plywood to bits.

Payne did not jump or run to the next target; he summoned a myriad of dark hands from his own to pull the target towards him. It came, but apparently not fast enough for his liking: He lunged towards it and sliced it into thirty-two parts in a dizzyingly fast whirlwind of strokes (Jak thought he looked rather like the Tasmanian Devil).

Payne finally lowered his sword and looked to Jak. "Your next lesson is with Shay; she will be teaching you the ways of the army and improving your physical performance. I will, from now on, be your mentor in the ways of Dark Eco. Go now; she is waiting."

Jak left the Dark training room to the sound of more targets being sliced up by Payne.

**Wow. He really knows what he's doing, doesn't he? **

_It's good that he does; otherwise, all that energy in the wrong place could kill even a Dark One, like me or him! _

**Yeah. Come on; maybe we'll learn how to be more efficient, like him! **

_You are __**so **__naїve. He's your role model now? _

**You're the naїve one; you don't recognize the power! **

_I've had enough with power struggles and Haven. This is the new way to go! _

The split personality of Jak walked leisurely to Shay's quarters, the halves chatting amicably to each other, their eternal feud forgotten – for the moment.


	12. New Revelations

I'm back! Much more HW and stuff than I anticipated. BTW the end of this chapter and most after this one are gonna be pretty dark...brace yourself!

JK, have fun.

Part 12: New Revelations

Jak warily approached Shay's quarters, looking for another attack. She didn't appear to be inside, or approaching the room from either side.

It was a tiny sound, the scrape of a hand against stone. Jak looked up to see Shay crouching on top of a tiny ledge in the rock that he hadn't noticed. He had just enough warning to jump under the ledge before she dropped on him, feet-first.

Her one flaw was exposed as she landed and tried to turn to face him– not fast enough, as Jak landed a massive haymaker to the side of her head. She was knocked slightly off balance for a moment, long enough for Jak to spin around and perform a "donkey kick" to the small of her back. Shay grunted, fell forward on to her sandpaper-like palms, rolled to break her fall, and stood again. Before Jak could begin fighting her once more, she held up her palms and turned around.

"All right. You got me. But that's only because I didn't turn fast enough, and I wasn't dark. Next time, I'll be fully darkened – let's see if you can beat me then!" A slight twinkle came to her eye, and led Jak out the way he had come.

Jak's teacher led him to the ledge she had been sitting on, right above the door to her quarters. "That's where we store the suits. Up you go," she said, then gave Jak a slap on the ass.

_Did she just do that? And where am I supposed to go? _

**Get up on to that ledge! **

Dark Jak assisted Jak in leaping the seven or eight feet straight up and pulling himself over the ledge. Shay followed quickly behind him. By squeezing through a crack, Jak emerged into a huge cavern riddled with machinery. There were large metal shapes with guns attached, batteries plugged into the wall charger…

**Suits! Exoskeletons! This is what they've been working on! **

_I wonder how long it's taken the Metal Heads to develop these…_

Shay led the way to a false wall in the back of the room, opening it with a special access card. "We keep our finished suits in the back here in case of an invasion – they'll think we're still working on the armor. These exoskeletons are designed to assist our movements, as well as provide us with extra weapons and armor. This one's mine." Shay stroked the metal arm of a suit fondly.

It had a battery hidden behind layers of steel at the back, and the power-assistance arms and legs extended from there. Platforms for Shay's feet and handles to move the arms were included.

**It doesn't look very protective…**

_How is this supposed to help us again? _

Shay stepped into the suit, placing her feet on the platforms and grasping the handles. She then grabbed a small tube with a needle at the end, one Jak hadn't noticed until then. Without hesitation, she plunged it into her arm.

"Dark Eco supply," she explained. "This suit's got a launcher…as well as a lot of other stuff." The armor plates then slid out from the bulky power-assistance limbs to cover her completely. A visor came up and over her head from the battery pack and she lowered a mini-microphone for communications. "The training room's down here," Shay intoned, the built-in speakers amplifying her voice. Jak also noted the built-in blades protruding everywhere, some sharp edges running parallel to Shay's limbs, others at an angle.

A mount on Shay's right shoulder was attached to a swiveling Dark Eco launcher. She pulled the lethal end over so it was pointing forwards, and by drawing on her internal supply, blasted a huge hole in the rock.

**OK, so maybe I was mistaken…**

_This is all well and good, but I won't be able to move properly in that thing! _

Shay then proved Jak wrong by performing an acrobatic series of handsprings and cartwheels, followed by a transition into her dark form.

Dark Shay was truly awesome in her terrible power. The tattoos on her face and arm glowed a malevolent black against the pale gray of her flesh. Her claws were slightly different from Jak's in the ways that they were short and came to an abrupt point, while his were longer and tapered.

Shay stepped out of her suit and growled a greeting in the Metal Head tongue. Jak slid into his dark form and answered, for he could understand and speak the language in his dark form. She demonstrated how her strength was augmented by the suit: Shay ran at the wall and dealt it a huge, raking blow from her claws. It left huge, inch-long trenches. Stepping into the suit and doing the same, Shay's claw marks were at least an inch deeper.

And so Jak learned about Shay's Blade suit and its capabilities, grew stronger in the ways of Dark Eco with Payne, and practiced personal combat and strength training with Shay. And for a week, all was well.

Jak reported to Payne's training room for his special assignment. "Jak, you are ready for your first examination. Exams are tests to see what you have learned so far and if you can apply it. I will usually send you to one of the Wastelanders' Outposts or to pick off a particularly lethal young driver. Today, your assignment is to escort me to the Marauders' stronghold to make an alliance."

"The Marauders?"

**How clever of him. The Marauders have come close to overwhelming Spargus many times, stopped only by Kleiver, you, and other drivers. If he can get them to occupy the Wastelanders while the Metal Heads attack…Oh, how clever! **

"Yes. Their driving is more skillful than you think… Their leader is known for his paranoia that everything is a conspiracy theory to oust him from his throne; however, he is a charismatic and extremely skilled leader. If he tries any funny business, attack his lackeys – but only to intimidate, not to kill."

Jak understood. "If he won't sign, should I apply some pressure?"

Payne gave Jak his thin smile again, yellow eyes sparkling. "No, but I like your way of thinking. If he refuses, we will leave quietly. However, in three days' time, a special unit will raid the Marauder stronghold, taking many of their most prized Precursor artifacts. Four days later, we will give them back their artifacts – if they sign the alliance."

As Dark Jak marveled at Payne's "diplomatic skills," the balanced self was feeling a shard of doubt and guilt pierce his heart. It was suddenly hard to breathe, and his limbs felt like lead, weighing him down. _How…did I come to like his methods? What am I becoming? I can't believe this! I have to get out of here! _

Jak's body would no longer support him. His knees buckled and he collapsed. He was breaking down. As if this wasn't disturbing enough, Dark Jak rose and took over Jak's body _on his own_.

He was floating in a gray world, with a small window into the outer world. Everything felt surreal; peering out Dark Jak's eyes, Jak saw Payne exclaim about this weakness, how it had to be eliminated! He would have to be given an infusion at once…No, please, not an infusion…not again…He didn't want the dark form to take over again…But he didn't even know what he wanted anymore…Did he want to be strong or weak? Did he want to help the Metal Heads or defend the city? Why were they doing this to him? The infusion room loomed…Payne was talking about having gone too long without an infusion of Eco…Savage pleasure from the dark form…Cold steel…Pain, unbearable, razor-sharp teeth and claws ripping his body apart…Was he now dependent on the Eco to keep him strong? …Relief, at last…But weakness…More, ever more…Vision fading…Stumbling…to the cell…collapsing…Blackness.

END CHAPTER 12

Pretty good for a few months off, no?


	13. Proving one's Worth

I'm back! WARNING: GRAPHIC BLOOD & GORE IN THIS CHAPTER!

Part 13: Proving One's Worth

The next day, Jak awoke in the infusion room, strapped to the cold steel table once again.

"It's good to see you're awake again," Payne announced, striding to the center of the room. "You may recall that you have a mission to complete. Well, this is being revised. You have no exam; instead, you will fight in our version of the Arena. In our Arena, we have captured Wastelanders for you to practice on. Once you finish your frenzy, you must duel with another Dark One or humanoid Metal Head. Don't worry, your duels aren't some gladiator "fight to the death" thing, it's just to test your strength.

"Since you're new, all you'll have to do is kill some Wastelanders. But in a duel, when you have your enemy's energy drained, and they yield, you are the winner. Once you finish with the Arena and take another infusion, you must go with Shay to welcome our newest Dark One…I think you know him very well."

Jak's thoughts at this point were as follows: _Uhh…my head…why won't he stop talking? Can I go back to sleep? _

**No, you very well cannot go back to sleep. Listen to what he has to say. **

_You freaked me out last night! Stop talking, it's making my headache worse. And DON'T do that again. I just want to talk to my friends, make sure they're ok, then go to SLEEP! _

**Hmm. Goodbye. **

Jak caught the last sentence of Payne's speech. "I know him very well? How do I know him?"

Payne smiled knowingly. "Oh, you'll see for yourself. Now come, you need a quick shot of Eco before your Arena fight." He grabbed a large syringe and injected the Eco into Jak's arm. He groaned at the rush of power and darkness.

"How did you squeeze so much Eco into that thing?"

"It's highly compressed. Be careful not to break one or Eco will spurt out everywhere."

Jak's splitting headache had eased with the Eco, and his dark drive had increased. "All right, where's the Arena?"

Shay was waiting for them in the armory near the Arena. "What took you so long?" she asked, hands on hips.

"Oh, there was the small matter of my dark form taking over without my consent, and me collapsing and taking another infusion."

"It happens. Get used to it. Now, what will I fit you out in?" Shay mused. She turned to the wall, where hung Jak's reassembled Precursor armor. The Dark One handed Jak his armor and pointed to a contraption similar to her Blade suit, but without the top half.

"It's a lower body power-assistance skeleton. It's sized for you. Take it." She then made for the door, stopping before Jak. She kept her eyes on the floor and head down while addressing him.

"Um, hey, I just wanted, you know, to say…good luck."

"I appreciate it. Thanks for the concern." He meant it, too. But what was up with her wishing him good luck? Before she had become his mentor, she would have said something like "I hope you get killed."

Without further ado, Shay left and Jak strapped on his old armor. The familiar weight of the breastplate, shoulder guard, greaves, and bracers reminded him of the deranged Errol and his quest to destroy the world. How much had he changed since then? Would the old Jak, or better yet, Mar have done this?

**Now is not the time for doubt. Now is the time to get in that exoskeleton and get ready to taste blood once more…**

_You are way too sadistic. _

**Can't help it. Let's go! **

Jak placed his feet in the designated spots on top of the foot plates. Strong but lightweight metal skins slid over them to seal his feet in. He noticed a small launcher hooked to the belt, which he cinched around his waist. The launcher had a small hose and needle attached to it, which meant it fed off his Dark Eco supply. He pushed the needle into a vein and powered up the rest of the leggings. More plates slid from the outer power-assist limbs to completely cover his legs. Yet when he moved, it was like it was a part of him. Jak felt the power hidden in the limbs, and proceeded out into the arena at a sprint helped by his new armor.

"All right! Suit working out okay?" It was Shay, holding her deathblade.

"Yeah. It's like wearing a huge chunk of muscle."

"I know how you feel. You'll love it." She said with a sparkle in her eye.

It was in that moment that Jak felt that everything was right and he had made the right decision. There was one thing left to do before he could be absolutely happy here… but that could wait until after the fight.

"Hey, Shay, do you want to have lunch and an infusion after the fight?" He couldn't believe he was asking her, but he was so desperate to talk to somebody and had appreciated her newfound kindness so much that he thought that she would do."

To his surprise, she smiled. It was the first time Jak had ever seen her do so, and it absolutely lit up her otherwise intimidating face.

"I'd love to. I-"

The blare of a horn cut her off.

"They're summoning the population to watch the fight. I'm up first! I have to go!" She ran off through the tunnel to the ring. Jak sat down on a bench and watched a monitor installed on the opposite wall.

Shay's fight was short and brutal. She was pitted against three of the toughest Wastelanders Jak knew, all holding their rifles. The first met his end with a swift thrust of her deathblade. However, once she embedded the point in his chest, the Dark One was hit by rifle fire from behind. Abandoning the deathblade, she turned dark. The other two never had a chance. One gasped, whimpered, dropped his rifle, and ran one step away before Shay lunged and tore his throat out with her fangs, blood fountaining out of his mortal wound.

Almost in the same motion, one of her forearm blades struck the other man between his shoulder and neck, and sliced diagonally down all the way down to his spine. He died while screaming in agony. Jak noticed then that in her dark form, she had sharp, thick blades embedded on the edges of her forearms, on the pinky sides. She had to be literally pried off of the man whose neck was between her jaws.

Jak watched the bloody scene from the monitor, hoping his fight would be as easy as hers. He congratulated Shay as she walked back down the tunnel and plopped down on the bench.

He stood up and jogged out into the ring. It was time. The Dark Eco was buzzing inside him, ready to be let out. Three adversaries came out and formed a ring around him, just as they had done for Shay.

It was time. He let the dark form take over and guide him.

**You have learned your lesson well. Leave this to me. **

It did its work brutally and well. The first man went down to a concentrated burst from the Eco launcher that came with the exoskeleton. Dark Jak tackled the next, hooked its claws up into his ribcage, ripped it open, and shredded the Wastelander's heart with a blow from its claws. Blood spurted up and coated Dark, but he didn't care.

**Blood…**

Knowing this left its back turned to the last Wastelander, Dark Jak used all of its and the exoskeleton's strength in a "donkey kick" to the last man's chest while ripping open the other. It had much more effect than it intended: The single blow completely staved in his chest and threw him across the ring.

Covered in blood, Dark Jak screamed its victory to the sky. The crowd responded with a thunderous cheer. It ran back for the tunnel and receded into Jak's body. Jak was tingling from the surge of adrenaline and Eco, and he threw himself down on to the bench next to Shay.

"Hey," she greeted him. "Nice handling of those Wastelanders."

Jak didn't respond right away, as he was slightly polarized by the sudden goriness and brutality of his actions and the dark surge.

_You didn't have to be that brutal! _

**Look at it this way. I'm helping you: If I wasn't that bloody, you would have to do this a lot more. **

_You have a point. _

"Thanks. Let's go."

Shay then said something that made Jak feel a little better. "I know how you feel. After the Arena, we always have a little break. Let's go to my quarters and talk."

Even though he was confused at the sudden outreach by his mentor, Jak appreciated the gesture - and was desperate for someone to talk to, someone who knew how he felt. At these moments, his friends who had never had exposure to the Eco were little help. Usually, all he got was a sympathetic and pitying sentence and no real advice or consolation.

"Yeah. That'll- well- thanks."

Shay smiled and left, leaving Jak feeling a little less alone than he had been a moment before.


	14. Companionship

I know, this chapter hasn't got any action at all, but quite a bit of plot development and, quite honestly, the best romance scene I've ever written. Much better than the shallow stuff that I used to write. Check it out.

Part 14: Companionship

Jak was quick to strip off his bloodstained clothes, take a quick shower, and change into soft, clean white garments that he supposed were for the desert heat. Under the loose clothing was a thin, skintight black suit of some material that instantly shaped itself to his body and was tough as steel, yet light. There was also a piece of equipment that resembled a watch, which Jak cinched around his wrist.

_Oh my God. I didn't realize until now…_

**That Metal Head technology is leaps and bounds ahead of that of Haven? **

_Yeah. Why haven't we seen any of these things before? _

**Maybe they're saving it for when it's needed…for the invasion of Haven. **

_The invasion of Haven? Wow, I've been a total idiot. The Metal Heads' mission is to overrun Haven. And I'm helping them do it! _

**And is that such a terrible thing? They cast you out. Even now, the people look at you warily. They fear you. They whisper about what you hide – they don't know what it is about you, but you invoke fear in the people. And that fear gives you power over them. **

_Then I'm no better than Baron Praxis! He ruled by fear, and you can see where it got him! _

**He was foolish to trust the Metal Heads so much. Remember that if this fragile alliance is broken, we are for ourselves, not the Metal Heads. **

_You're right. I can't trust them – the Metal Heads or the people from Haven. All they want is me. They don't see me as a person, they look at me and see a weapon with no feelings about whose side it's taking. Baron Praxis seeked to make me a weapon. He succeeded. I need to – _

Jak's train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the door.

_We'll finish this conversation later. _

He opened the door to Shay, who was wearing the same loose garments as Jak. Her voice was subdued as she told him the path to her quarters, and to visit his cell to pick up any equipment he had there. Jak noticed her change of tone.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She kept her eyes on the floor as she answered. "I'm feeling a little…conflicted at the moment, if you know what I mean."

Jak understood perfectly. "By the way, what's this?" He showed her the watch. The screen was blank and square-shaped.

"It's a communicator. You can view video messages with it." She clearly wasn't in the mood to chat much.

"I'll meet you at your quarters."

_Why is she being so damn shy? _

**She wants to be friends and wants to apologize for her earlier treatment, but is too proud – or shy – to apologize. **

_Well, aren't you the personality analyzer? How'd you learn to analyze people? _

**It comes with sitting around in your head all day. I listen to conversations and deduce personalities. **

_You're a lot more civilized than I thought. But don't think this means I'll let you out more often! _

Jak turned a corner and reached his cell. Opening the door with a keycard, he entered and softly closed the door behind him.

Keira was sitting on the bed, and for the first time, was sane and lucid. Most days after Jak finished his training, she would either be unconscious and lying on the cot or hallucinating from the drugs the Metal Heads had given her as a form of torture.

As soon as he entered, Keira jumped up and stood in front of him.

"Where have you been this whole time? I remember seeing you once some time ago, and then you never came back. What's happening?"

"I've been here with you for weeks. You've just been unconscious or hallucinating whenever I come back."

Keira nodded. She knew how she had been for the past few weeks. Looking Jak up and down, she was surprised to see him much taller and stronger than before. "What have they been doing to you? They're definitely feeding you more than me. How'd you get so strong?"

"They forced me to join their army. I've been training. But when the time comes for the battle, I plan to mysteriously disappear. What's happening with you?" Jak felt the pangs in his stomach as he lied; he planned to do no such thing. _I can't tell her how much I hate the Havenians! She'd turn on me just like them! _

Keira grimaced, and her face took on an altogether darker tone. "They're still trying to get me to work for them as a mechanic. When I say no, they…do something else to me." Extending her palms to Jak, she showed him the burns and scars that would forever mar her pale skin. He gently took hold of her arms and spoke.

"I know it's hard. Listen, there's something I've been thinking about, but I can't talk about it now – I…I think they've got me bugged. Hold out until – I'll tell you about it later."

Jak wanted to tell her that he was planning an escape and that everything would work out, but he lost heart at the last moment. The righteous picture he was painting for her was just too much for his already-strained conscience to bear.

Keira understood perfectly. She signaled this with a slight nod and a quick upward twitch of her lips. It was the first time Jak had seen her smile, even for a fleeting second, since he had joined the Metal Heads – and his heart completely melted.

He took a step closer to Keira. Gently brushing green bangs away from her face, Jak bent down and drew her into a deep, long kiss. In that long, blissful moment, all of his conflicts and feelings vanished, replaced by Keira and memories of the good times they had had together.

After a time – Jak had no idea if it had been a second, a minute, even an hour – she withdrew.

"I miss you, Jak," she whispered. "I miss Haven, and safety, and…and freedom. That's one thing everyone takes for granted, until it's taken away."

Jak embraced her in his arms. "I know." He felt like a prisoner of the Dark Eco, like he was reliant on it, the only constant in his life.

It was like he had rediscovered joy and a symbol of his old life. She was an anchor, a reason to stay with Haven.

And it was in that moment that Jak realized that all he wanted to do was forget.

He wanted to forget the pain, the fear, the near-constant doubt. Jak needed a serious reassessment of his life. _It begins now, as soon as I get a good long break. _

He brushed his lips gently against Keira's once more, feeling her arms tighten around him. The escape, the long-awaited feeling of true acceptance and love, the sheer emotion was almost as intoxicating as Dark Eco. Jak involuntarily clasped her tighter; she responded by moving closer against him.

Keira eventually broke the embrace. She voiced Jak's thoughts at that moment.

"I never want to be separated from you again."

"Neither do I. Listen, I've got a plan." He bent to whisper in her ear. "Just tell them yes. Join them as a mechanic, just don't do a very good job of it. We'll live here together until we find a way out of here." At this point, Jak meant every word he said. Meeting Keira again had flipped his feelings for the Metal Heads around one hundred and eighty degrees.

"Yes." Keira looked up into Jak's light blue eyes, her one voice of sanity in this crazed new world.

And with that one word, Jak felt as if his world here was complete. He needed nothing else to be happy. This secret Nest could officially be called home. Once his doubt was erased, he had Eco, a potential friend in Shay, and a lover in Keira.

***

Action in the next chapter, I PROMISE!


	15. Ghosts of the Past

Two chapters in two days! That was quick. A little fluff in this chapter, but there's action too - I promised!

Chapter 15: Ghosts of the Past

Jak sat on the fold-out bed with his back to the wall. Keira was next to him.

"When were you captured?" he asked.

"After you were taken, Daxter and I started living in Freedom HQ. Payne sent a package…He blew up our new headquarters and sent a Metal Head invasion force. They were looking explicitly for us – and they took us. Daxter and I were blindfolded and tied to the backs of Metal Heads who took us here."

"Daxter?" Jak was surprised to hear of his furry friend. "Where is he?"

"That's the thing – I don't know!" Keira sounded upset. "I haven't seen him since I arrived!"

Jak put an arm around her. "I'll ask Payne. Don't worry about it. You've done a great job. We'll be fine." He felt her nestle up against his body, her head on his shoulder. Jak looked down at her and smiled, leaning his head back against the wall.

The silence was shattered by a loud beep from the watch communicator. Shay's face came into focus. Jak pressed the PLAY button under the screen.

"Soldier, your break is up. Report to my quarters within ten minutes."

"This is it," Jak murmured to Keira. She turned to face him, taking one of his hands.

"Whatever they do to me, I promise to be here when you get back." Keira said strongly. "We need each other to survive here. I won't let you down."

Jak took her in another deep kiss, then left quickly.

The Metal Heads came for Keira minutes later.

Jak made his way to Shay's private quarters, close to the Nest wall. He knocked once at the door to have it promptly opened.

"Come in," Shay said. She seemed to be back to her normal intense self.

The room was simply furnished, with a small bed, nightstand, desk and chair. There was no decoration that Jak could see, although her armor hung from a peg on a wall. Another door led to a bathroom and infusion room. The room would be simple but for the ceiling.

It was made of thick, strong glass. Sunlight was streaming in through gaps in the sand that covered the unique roof.

_Sunlight! I haven't seen it for so long…_

**Pah, I don't much care for the sun. It makes my powers wane…**

Shay noticed the direction of his gaze. "I asked for the glass ceiling. From above, it looks like sand from a distance."

"What if someone walks on it?" Jak inquired.

"It's plenty strong to withstand a person, but we're under one of the small islands outside Spargus, remember? No one ever goes anywhere around here." She sighed and plopped down on the bed. "Sit." She indicated a spot on the bed next to her.

Jak tentatively sat down on the bed. She curled up and began to talk.

"I'm your mentor, so I thought you'd like to know a little bit about me. Am I right in saying that?"

Jak nodded; he had wondered how and when Shay had arrived, not to mention who she was.

"I was from Haven. I was born and grew up in the Slums, doing anything I could to help my struggling parents. My dad was a mercenary and my mom was a bounty hunter, but you know how it is – only the best make good money. As it was, we barely ate.

"Then, when I turned eighteen, I decided not to go into bounty hunting and enlist in the Krimzon Guard instead…or I tried. Baron Praxis put me into the Dark Warrior Project instead. After a year, after I failed as a project, he put me into the Krimzon Guard. I had brought my deathblade when I wanted to enlist, so he gave me literally a suit of armor, a deathblade, and a barracks assignment."

She paused and got to her feet. She stood a ways back from Jak and pulled her left sleeve all the way up to her shoulder. The snake around her bicep stood out in the natural light.

"Nice tattoo," Jak commented.

"Thanks, but it's got a reason other than just to look nice." Shay closed her eyes and the snake began to move.

The astounded Jak watched as the snake crawled sinuously down and around her arm. It reached her hand, where it erupted out of her flesh in a flash of light.

When Jak's eyes readjusted after the flash, he saw that the deathblade was in Shay's hand!

_The snake is the sword! Wow, I had no idea that was possible! _

**You have ****got ****to get one of those. **

"Wow," he said breathlessly.

"When Payne figured out smart-ink technology, I was the first to have a smart-ink tattoo done. He put one around the handle of my blade while carving the pattern into my arm without ink. Then it went into my arm – and became a tattoo."

"That's handy," Jak commented.

Shay put her deathblade away and sat back down on the bed. She suddenly became much more somber as she began to talk about the Krimzon Guard.

"I joined the Krimzon Guard in the same Elite unit as Torn. We immediately took a liking to each other and…we were very…compatible. I think that having a best friend in my unit was my only way of surviving it. Ashelin…hadn't joined the Guard yet.

"One day, we were training in the Gun Course, just the two of us, when…

Shay smashed the last target with her deathblade. The buzzer sounded and she walked out the door. Checking her score at a terminal, she noticed Torn walking up behind her in the reflective surface.

In one movement, she had slammed the visor down on her helmet, turned around, and was striking downward with her deathblade.

The blow was met by the edge of Torn's knife. The clang of steel on steel echoed for a long time. Shay flipped her visor up, revealing a grin.

"Nice reaction time. Better be faster next time, or I'll make mincemeat out of you!"

"_You'll _make mincemeat out of _me?_ I think not!"

The friendly banter continued for some time. Then, suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, Torn asked a question.

"Hey, Shay?"

"Yeah?"

"How're the parents?"

Shay stiffened. They had been killed in a particularly violent skirmish with Metal Heads while in the Baron's employ.

"I…they…they're dead, Torn. They died last week." She sat down against a wall and rested her head in her hands.

Torn was shocked. He had no idea her parents were in a dangerous line of work. He sat down next to her and tentatively reached an arm around her shoulders. She didn't move away. Dropping her hands from her face, Shay quietly spoke.

"They're mercenaries, Torn. They lived in the Slums. They were the reason I enlisted in the Guard. I don't know if it's worth it, being in the Guard."

She raised her head to Torn, eyes full of doubt. In an uncharacteristic gesture, he reached out and grasped her hand.

"I'll make it worth it. I promise."

Shay knew that her hidden feelings for him were not one-sided. She moved closer to him, and their lips met.

She made a snap decision: The Guard wasn't so bad after all.

Events rushed through Shay's mind.

"We…we, uh…we were more than friends."

Jak understood. Dark, however, was not so quiet.

**Torn's ex-girlfriend? Does Ashelin know she exists? **

_It's not important right now…I'm interested…_

"We were together for a year. It was great. Then…the Battle of the Slums…

A large number of Metal Heads had managed to breach the Eco barrier into the city and had a strong foothold in a fairly large section of the Slums, attracted by the Eco in the former Green Sage's hut.

Torn and Shay, both senior officers, observed the battle in a Hellcat cruiser. The situation was getting progressively worse. The order came through from the Baron for all forces to push the attack on foot. Torn piloted while Shay disembarked and grabbed her KG-issue Tri-gun.

Firing the mortar until she ran out of bombs, Shay reverted to the rifle. Standing back, she took out three particularly vicious Metal Head slingers and was working on a fourth when the huge Metal Head crashed into her side in a flying tackle, knocking her to the ground. She lost her Tri-gun in the scuffle, but had enough sense to grab her deathblade and try to kill it.

Seeing her deathblade, the Metal Head immediately got up and backed off. It turned its back and returned with a long sword in one hand and a shield strapped to the other arm.

"Ah, a duel?" she asked breathlessly, a smile coming to her lips. "You got it!" She took up a defensive stance as the Metal Head charged at her.

It leaped impossibly high and struck downward with the sword. Shay jumped to the side and struck out, deeply gashing the Metal Head's side. It ignored the pain, as all Metal Heads did.

Taking the offensive, Shay feinted a thrust, then whipped the other end of her blade at the Metal Head's legs. It blocked with the shield and countered with a thrust. Nimbly skipping to the side of the thrust, Shay struck at the shield again and again. A spider web of cracks was appearing on the shield. Soon it would be one blade against two.

The Metal Head charged and dealt Shay a hard blow with the shield. It left her winded and open to his next attack, an overhead slash. To her luck, the blade only grazed her left arm, but as soon as it hit, she had an immediate sense of drowsiness. _Anesthetic! Their blades must be covered with anesthetic! It's more lethal than poison! _

She regained her composure quickly enough to see the Metal Head's vicious overhand swing continue down until the sword was lodged firmly in the dirt. Shay took this opportunity to lop off its sword arm. It shrieked in pain and fell to the ground.

Just then, orders from the Baron came in through her helmet comm. All troops were to be back at the safe zone in ten seconds. She could see the shelter at the safe zone and ran at it. Torn was inside the shelter, screaming for her to hurry.

It was the last time she saw Torn in years. Unbeknownst to Shay, while she was listening to her orders, the Metal Head had let go of its shield and was pursuing her with the sword. She was about twenty yards in front of the shelter when it caught up to her. With the last of its strength, the Metal Head slashed deeply at Shay's back. The first strike ripped off the armor; the next slashed deeply into her back, halting her. Three more strikes followed, Shay weakening with each stroke delivered. She fell to her knees and collapsed as the anesthetic worked its way into her system, deathblade still in her hand.

Torn screamed her name and ran out of the shelter just as the Eco wall went up right outside, cutting off the section of the city. He screamed her name again and put a palm to the Eco, feeling it tingle his skin.

The Metal Head grunted with satisfaction and dropped the sword. He grabbed her ankle and dragged her to his base camp.

"I was captured by the Metal Heads during that battle. They figured out I was a former Dark Warrior Project subject. They started Dark Eco infusions again, the Baron died, Kor and Errol were killed, Payne came to power…the rest you know."

Jak was astounded by her story.

_Not only are we talking to Torn's ex-girlfriend, she's been taking many, many more dark infusions than I have! _

**Of course, ninny. How on earth did you think she got so powerful? **

"One thing," Jak put in. "You sound like you have a purpose for telling me all this. Is there one?"

Shay was impressed. "You've hit the nail right on the head. Yeah, I have a reason for telling you all this. First, we need to work as a team to finish your training on time. Second, our task today is to welcome a new Dark One."

Jak remembered Payne's words. "Yeah, Payne said I know him, or something like that."

Shay took a deep breath. "Yeah. You know him. The new Dark One is Torn."


End file.
